Shattered Faith
by AsuraTheFallen
Summary: Worship for a long forgotten god grants access to an afterlife at her side. Many happily accept this offer and spend eternity hunting alongside their idol. But the gods aren't held back by our aspect of morality and think nothing of the dark secret this afterlife truly has.
1. Chapter 1

"It was during a raging tempest, that's all I recall of the incidence. The precipitation pelting downward like stones on the tiled roofing. Unflagging chinking against the ceramics always consistent, it's amusing that I can remember that, I wasn't even under a roof. It started like any other day; awaken prior to anyone else in the house. Setting the bucket on the windowsill to gather water, putting the kettle on so it'd be ready when the rest woke. I slip on my thatch shoes, dust that had accumulated on the ground from last night's rest was stirred up by my movement and lazily floated about the abode. My family wasn't the richest of folks, but thank the divinities we weren't penurious. It was my duty to cater for the household along with my sister, Helena. We provided for our mother, who was struck with an ailment and bedridden along with our two youthful siblings. Both little ladies, born three years ago in Summer's End.

I wordlessly crept out the door and off to work and after my duty period was over Iwould head home the same way Iinvariably did, through the backstreets where it was shadowed so I wouldn't be hit with the heat of the sun. I was a street corner away from home before someone put a hand over my mouth and Ifelt a burning sensation at the base of my backbone, white-hot. The anguish was so vast that Ididn't even make a sound as Ifell to the ground. I felt cold, and not just because Ifell into a growing puddle of rainwater, but my last moments were of images on how my family would subsist…. It was simple… they wouldn't. That's when Ithought all my work was over…. until..


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter: 1_

I sat up with half a frightened yell but then a groan of pain as the white-hot burning slowly melted away from my lower back. I looked around worried, puffing as I pulled together my thoughts and surroundings. I went from a dirty wet alleyway to a breathtaking field… all my life in the city I've never even seen such an open field. The grass flowed like it was caught in tango with the wind, dancing in a rhythmic way. The wind itself was nipping, cold, and easy. Not thickly, torrid, and still like in the city. I forgot about all the misfortune that would come from whatever happened to me as I looked around in wonderment. I remembered that first step, I was barefooted and surprisingly in cleaner clothes. I took my time walking through the dancing grass

I didn't even realize I was being observed. I got a quarter into that field before I felt something hot land on my neck, at first I thought I got bit by an insect of some kind but as I turned I quickly recognized I was right and also vulnerable. I turned my head to see a monumental ponderous beast coming out of the tree line, it didn't care that it was too small for it to fit, it simply pushed the tree over with ease.

It had white chitinous like formations that ran under its arm and along its side and up to its shoulder, forming an armor-like pad. Then up to its back to create spikes that slanted rearwards towards its tail, which was shaped similar to a broad spearpoint. In the places that didn't have this plating of sorts, it was wolf-like, but one didn't need to be a genius to know it wasn't. The way it slowly started circulating around me and the way its shoulders moved as it walked. Its chitin started growing forward, forming two arced horns.

Before it could even start growling I heard the cannon like blast from the treeline followed by her yelling "You utter twat, Helio!" I looked up to see a woman flying through the air with a hammer way too big for someone her size to be carrying. Just as confounded as me that… wolf thing looked up too only to encounter a blow to the head. That's when a split second of lightning shot from every direction when it burst." I said as sat up with a groan. Feeling the warmth of crackling flames and the chirrups of insects in every direction.

"Sounds like you're a newbie." Said a croaky man's voice "and what do you mean someone my size?" Came from the short girl with the penetrating voice. I was taken aback by the volume of her voice suddenly. "It's just you're carrying a hammer twice your size and you're like four feet tall." She nearly threw it at me but the man just put his foot on it and she couldn't pick it up. "Well, I wish I could say that you're going to handle what you're about to hear nicely but rarely anyone does." "What do you mean? What won't I take well?" I asked befuddled as I slowly pushed myself up to my feet and sat on a fallen tree.

"Easy. You're dead scatterbrains. Out of play. Dead as dirt, dust, ash-" Her voice was stopped by the man placing his barrel of his arm-strapped cannon under the hammer and firing, sending it flying down the hill which she chased after like a child after a pup shouting "No sweet child of mine please come back!" He sighed as her voice slowly faded off into the night. "Listen, Yera's abrasive sometimes, but I was the same way at first, I've been here for only a few months and I'm only now accepting it. You're worried about your family, how will they make it, I need to make it back?"

I felt sort of speechless, he was right that's exactly how I felt. "And how did you come to terms with that…?" I asked softly looking into the depths of the fire pit, watching the embers flicker around the snapping branches and stalks and stems of different assorted plants. "They're blessed… from the instant you died until the day they do. They'll be watched over by her graciousness." He said folding his hands on his thigh as he gave a soft smile. "You mean...Cersei… Is she watching over them? I thought all that prayer was for nothing as she's regarded as-" I was saying before I was cut off by him putting his hand out. "Don't say it. She hates it when anyone says that."

I looked confused for a second. "How could she hear me?" He gave a soft chortle as he pulled out a map and scooted closer and pointed at what looked like a stronghold in the mountains in the north. "She's there. In the flesh and blood the lady herself. You don't even need to be white-tie. You can walk up and start a conversation as easy as anyone. I almost did one myself but… ah, I'm sure she had better things to do. Anyway, enough with the talk, you're unarmed and we were heading back to the stronghold in the morning. You can come with us if you want. That is if you don't opt to be a meal for the next beast."

I quickly shook my head yes, "Following sounds good. I favor having meals not be one." He gave a soft chuckle before tossing a small pillow from traveling his bag at me. "That's all any of us have tonight, there are actual rooms at the stronghold. I nodded, laying it against the base of the tree letting the gentle crackling of the fire comfort me to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning we were both roused up by the heavy panting above us. We both shot up to see Yera glaring at the both of us, primarily me with a glower. "Why is that stranger using my pillow?" She said with a soft growl. Helio yawned "Because you ate my jerky." "That was a week ago!" "I never forget. And it had my name on it don't even say you didn't know." She looked like she was about to say just that but quickly stopped in her tracks. They both silently started packing so I helped by putting out the fire.

-TRANSITION-

It had been a few hours after we left the camp and now after my grogginess had cleared I had a chance to get a better picture of both of them. I looked first at Helio, taking in the details slowly. He was busy smoking a redolent set of herbs in his pipe so he didn't realize. Blonde, greasy hair was tied back by a small string, reaching down to his shoulders. He had a long face and bright green eyes that gleamed in the light that peeked through the tree canopy and yet it was charming. I noticed he was taking glances at Yera, smiling delightfully at the young woman he had looked over and taken under his wing for so long.

Yera was carrying her a hammer, the large chunk of raw alloy that had some parts carved to form blades on one side. She was busy trying to sharpen them as she walked, they had gotten chipped from striking the beast's horns at the wrong angle. She had short untamed chocolate-brown hair that looked like she hadn't brushed it in the longest time. She possessed amber eyes that darted back and forth at every slight movement in the woodland around us, as if she was anxious for something. She had tribal like markings painted under her eyes. A few lines painted harmonious and two dots in between. She had a skinny face that matched her wild hair, a few scars here and there as well. If you looked past the crazy look she almost always had she was attractive.

She nearly took my head off when she swung her hammer at the first thing that jumped out of the brush and landed on the dirt road. Much to her annoyment the small, lemur like creature landed on her mallet and just started gazing at her. Two huge beady eyes that shined like aquamarine stars and silverish fur with black ovals dotted here and there. Its ears went directly outward, the inner parts were shiney and shifted from cerulean near the tips to purple closer to its head. It had ridges on its head that changed to small antlers in the very back and they looked to be made of diamonds if one didn't know better.

She instantly relaxed looking deep into its eyes. As soon as she swung the hammer did Helio grab the little lemur by the tail and fling it like one would throw a discus and all one would hear was the chirping and calls it gave out as it was flying back into the forest. He gave an exhausted sigh and handed his rifle to me. I had to take a double take that Icould hold such a huge firearm. A heavy hunk of wood formed the stock that fit firmly in place with the base of the gunlock. Multiple barrels made it so numerous types of ammunition could be loaded and swapped by just spinning the barrels. I could smell something from one of the barrels that already made me feel famished. There was a singular massive barrel in the middle that stunk of black powder.

As I was stuck holding his artillery he slung Yera over his shoulder, holding her hammer under his arm and kept walking. "It's only a few more hours walk to the checkpoint and on that point we can hire a carriage to take us to the stronghold." I couldn't help but ask "The stronghold in the north?" He gave another warming chuckle to my question. "No there's four leading strongholds; Stonebend here in the east. This is the more… standard forest looking parts. Whisperhold in the north, because of how the wind sounds when it blows by. Stormwatch by the southern sea, it actually watches for them because some storms depict coming monsters. Then there's the Monolith in the western deserts. If you can't remember the names you can always tell by the sigils. North for Wolves, South for Sharks, East for Eagles, West for Snakes." He then moved Yera's hammer to the side to show an eagle embroidered into his leather shoulderpad.

"So what happens when you're an Eagle and you go to the Shark stronghold?" He waved his hand dismissively, Yera nearly sliding off his shoulder. "Then I'm not welcome to a degree. I can still walk in and use basic facilities such as say the resting house. But I can use the Hunter's tavern where bounties are posted for monsters. I just can't use the hall and its facilities, that's for faction members only."

I nodded as I looked up at the canopy to think, my mind wandering about this world or whatever it was… my mind was trying to put pieces together on how Iended up here. I worshipped Cersei; Goddess of the hunt, quickstrider, elven heaven. She watches over her fields of eternity with her woven bow in hand. Since I worked in a fishery and I went out on boats and ships to bring in nets of fish and other sea creatures I always wanted to be like in the stories. A man in a rowboat and a spear hunting sharks and the alike. I first heard of her in hushed whispers from the homeless near the market.

I was taken out of thought when I saw a flash of green jump from the canopy to behind a tree and the more I looked the more flashes of green caught my eye, little flickers of red in the mix too. "Don't worry. They won't bite you unless they're starving." Helio said before, quite harshly, dropping Yera onto the ground. He reached for a small vial on his belt, opening it with a pop and taking a piece of dried meat out. Waving the small smoke cooked piece of jerky out in the air.

With a sound of wings flapping and a few flops numerous animals landed on his arm, tiny mouths chewing away at the tiny piece of meat like it's a feast. Its feathers were chartreuse. Starting with green near its head and it slowly shifted to yellow with its tail being a bright banana colour. Its tail was long and coiled around Helio's forearm, the very tip curving to form a fan like formation of feathers. Its eyes were greige and contrasted with the aqua colour of its beak. The top of its wings were bright leaf green with the undersides the brightest crimson i've ever seen.

They gluttoned themselves on that small scrap, ripping a shred off with tiny sharp teeth and tilting their heads up to the sky so it slid down their throat. After the few seconds it took for them to feast they just as quickly left. One small avian was late and after the rest were gone it landed on Helio's hand, gently biting his fingers thinking food was still there. Its beady eyes blinked rapidly as it looked around. That's where Helio did what I wasn't expecting and gently started to pet this strange squacky creature.

It turned its head so Helio could scratch where it wanted, it's long tail flicking in the air as it gave a very unsettling guttural like purr. He turned and handed it to me, rather set it on my shoulder and it just curled up, having its tail gently halfway around my neck. I was left befuddled as he started walking again, leaving me to process what just happened. Yera shot up with a warcry as she started swinging at the air thinking the lemur was still there.

"Where's the little filthy fabulous furry fucker?!" She said looking around glowering again. I quickly just stepped over her and walked quickly to avoid a possible beating and to catch up to Helio. We arrived at the checkpoint after a few hours of walking, my legs were already burning. "One carriage to Stonebend." Helio spoke as he dropped enough coins on the table for the three of us. They dinged and clunk against the table before the man motioned to get aboard. It was a tight fit and it was made worse I was sitting next to Yera.

She was staring at the creature curled up on my shoulder, looking back and forth between Helio and the creature again, knowing he had something to do with it. Helio had a prideful smirk on his face. The five oclock shadow stubble suiting his long features. He pulled his coat up on him, folding his arms and sighing contently, "Ill catch some shut eye, we should be there before midnight." He said closing his eyes. Leaving me uncomfortably in a small box with a crazy woman.


	4. Chapter 4

The ride was mostly quiet with Yera staring at the window nearly all of the time, a far-off gaze in her eyes and a blank expression. Either thinking or reminiscing. Helio woke up as the scenery started turning into an emerald bamboo forest. The shafts sprouting straight upwards in some patched but others grow at angles. Thin leaves lazily fall to the ground in the gentle wind as birds and forest floor critters watch with curiosity from the safety of the dense spires. The forest started to clear after a while, an open valley sprawling for miles upon miles coming into view.

The high mountain ranges on each side had mist pouring over the tops in some places, the flow trickling down the steep slopes, the eastern style trees blended in despite their different colours. The deep lively green and in other places the bright vibrant pink of cherry blossoms. The stronghold sat atop a single lonely mountain in the middle of the valley, defended from top to bottom in guard towers and heavy ballistas and the likes. The carriage rode along the dirt road towards the bottom of mountain where a small outpost was, manned by some kind of tiny person I haven't seen before. The small four foot person strode confidently towards the carriage, the small boy having normal human features but twitchy fox ears and a bushy tail. Wearing a set of armor specially made for him he raised his arm with hand open towards the carriage driver. "Papers." He said, not intimidating on his own but the fact there were easily four dozen of these tiny armed guards made it unnerving.

The carriage driver had to bend over the edge of his seat to give him the papers so far he nearly tumbled from the seat. The little small boy scanned over the papers, his ears twitching. Yera reached out to pet his soft fuzzy ears but Helio stopped her and whispered to her "That's a romantic gesture. Don't." She looked upset she couldn't pet the small cutie. The little fox boy had to stand on his tiptoes to hand the papers back. After he had the gates opened he spoke "Be careful, the red one is here."

Helio and Yera looked at each other, Helio with a wide smile and Yera with a glare. "Helio no." She said but Helio responded instantly with a smirk "Helio yes." I was confused for half of the ride up as they spoke about why he shouldn't do this or that. I spoke up when I chance "Who is the "red one"?" The question was responded by Helio giving a gentle chuckle and Yera going off into a rant. "She's supposedly this relative to our goddess, in the way our families work think of her like a great great aunt. Helio has the hots for her, so does half the men you ask." She said with her eyebrow twitching.

The carriage stopped outside the main gates. The towering walls of thick stone and wooden designs made it beautiful and breathtaking. The eastern appeal was what fitted most of the clear faction members, in straw hats and welding katanas of all shapes and sizes and other eastern weapons of the like. There was a loud cheer that tore through the air as the three of us climbed out of the carriage, coming from the local hunting hall. Some people nodded and greeted Helio as they ran past us and into the hall. The sound of fighting echoing from the temple-like building. Helio ran off with a wide smile while I stood confused before following.

As I ran up the stone steps multiple men were tossed through the door, tumbling down the steps, one ran out of the large door as fast as he could holding a twisted broken arm. In the middle of the Guildhall was a towering nine foot tall woman in black burnt armor, thorns spiraling around the chest and arms. Her helmet had a hole in the back where her crimson hair poured out of forming an intimidating look with the carved armor. She charged at a large man donned head to toe in thick armor, connecting a punch to his midsection that lifted him off the ground and as he hit the ground he reeled back to throw a punch back, she caught his fist and bent his arm slowly, forcing him onto the ground on his knees before she connected a hard downward strike that made a loud crack echo through the guildhall, the spectators cheering. She took ahold of the armor man and threw him out the door and strutted past the praising crowd to a woman in the corner, her cheek bruised.

She extended to a hand to help, her armor folding over its plates, condensing and sliding down to where only one of her gauntlets were left on her. She helped the olive-skinned woman up, sitting down to comfort her as the guild master ran through the door, dispersing the large crowd leaving only a handful of people here and there. Most of them at the bounty board. Helio ran in expecting a fun fight but the reason for it shattered the expectation. He cleared his throat and went to walk up to them but I had long beaten him to that. A strange need to help, I simply couldn't stand by when someone was in trouble of any kind. I quickly made my way over to the giant woman and the sobbing girl.

"Is she going to be alright?" I asked kneeling down in front of her, the small green wing that had been sleeping on my shoulder had jumped from me to the sobbing woman, rubbing its soft feathers on the underside of her chin, trying to cheer her up. She wiped away the tears on her face and gently scratched under his chin. The crimson haired woman stood up, hands on her hips with a sad expression on her face. "She should be. It's pathetic that some people are gifted this life and they do something like this." Her voice was proud despite the clear disdain in her tone. "I can't stand for this. Did you know any of those men? They don't get off free with one beating." She said looking down at me. I backed up a bit and shook my head no "I only just got here, I don't know anyone except Helio and Yera.

The woman looked over at Helio with a squint before looking back down at me, "Be careful at him, something has always confused me about him. Where were you before you came here?" She asked as the woman was by now finished crying and was too busy petting the animal. "I come from Aspien." The woman immediately growled as if instinctively, "Oh. That place. Hive of tyrants and pompous rich that throw their money around while others starve. Sorry the worlds are in that much disrepair."

The woman didn't seem to hold a weapon, just a burnt black metal hilt on her hips. Helio was busy eyeing the woman up and down. From the heroic features; her shining emerald eyes, crimson hair that flowed in the breeze coming in from the windows, her built frame that was rivaled by none. Sculpted perfected muscle that gave the image of beauty and power. Ample shoulders leading to smooth-skinned biceps that could flex and break a boulder. A strong midsection housed chiseled abs that rivaled monster scales. Her wide hips gently added alluring curves to her body, moving to sturdy thighs that carried her pride in all its awe with ease. She gave a gentle smile and patted me on the head, although she was trying to be gentle it felt like getting slapped a few times.

She turned to the woman who was giggling as the green wing purred against her shoulder. She sat next to her on the table, smiling with familiarity at the woman. The tall woman went to speak with that warm smile but the smaller woman beat her too it. "Thank you for helping me and stepping in." She smiled up at the muscled woman. "What's your name, my lady?" At that moment the smile washed off of the taller woman's and replaced with a look of heartbreak hidden behind a look of disbelief. "A-Athena…" She replied softly and the woman nodded, hugging her tightly before running off further into the guild, leaving Athena in clear pain after she left. She spoke softly under her breath. "S-She doesn't know.." She stood up slowly, her armor covering her body instantly, the warmth in her voice as I talked to her now completely void in her tone. "Get out of my way." She said walking past me, Helio didn't move, still trying to get a conversation but she stormed past him and out the door


	5. Chapter 5

I walked over to Helio who turned to me with a look of anger for a split second as if he believed that to be might fault that Athena was upset. The look quickly faded as he sighed and he waved his hand dismissively again. "I just want to get some good rest before we go on our first hunt." He said yawning and stretching. "I'll get a room for three, go find Yera and bring her back will you?" He said walking to the counter as I walked out the front door and over the unconscious bodies of the men that were thrown out earlier. I stood out in my peasant attire but I had no currency of any kind so I walked through the wet mud as the rain pattered down to the earth.

The green wing ran out of the temple, landing on the back of my wet neck with a loud slap due to his speed, curling in my shirt collar again. I scritched him under the neck as I moved further into the large stronghold, people sat around a large statue in the middle of the stronghold. The large carved stone warrior with multiple arms, in each a different weapon. People sitting at the base while more daredevil ones sat on his wrists high in the air. I saw Yera leaning against the wall in the alleyway between the armory and the armory's storage room talking to herself. I knocked on the wooden wall and called her and she turned to me, next to her a man came into view. Just fading into sight from thin air, his green snake eyes and scales on his neck pointed out he wasn't human.

He stood taller than the both of us, scales running down his arms and a forked tongue shooting from between his soft lips. He spoke with a gentle hiss behind his words "We'll finish this discussion later, Yera." He then faded away into thin air again and she walked over, her hammer holstered on her back. "What's wrong? You don't have that look of confusion that I thought was your trademark." I just shook my head not wanting to deal with her sass "Helio's getting a room for the three of us. He told me to come get you and he doesn't seem to be in a good mood."

Yera nodded and tapped her finger against her chin, "He does seem to get a little uneasy in a stronghold… even more when one of the gods is there. Although they are rarely here." We both agreed he does seem to be acting differently than the warmth that was shone before we got here. We walked towards the longhouse, long across the stronghold and sitting on the edge of the cliff, giving an amazing view of the valley. The woven padded floor creaking gently as we came to the room, sliding the paper door open and seeing Helio was already asleep on the mat he rolled out on the floor. Two more were resting on the table and we each took one and went to different corners of the room. The green wing curled up next to the heated stone that kept the room warm, basking in the heat. After a day of walking and taking in all these strange sights and people, sleep was a welcomed friend.


	6. Chapter 6

The bell rung high in the mountain, signaling that the sun was coming through the swirling clouds and wailing blizzard. The wolves howled as the bell toll waking everyone around here in Whisperhold. I slowly sat up in my soft bed, seeing Kadi curled up on the edge of the bed. His soft fur giving him his own protection of warmth as well as an image of elegance. I silently slid out of bed, grabbing my heavy fur coat before I moved to the kitchen. The housing here in Whisperhold were carved into this glorious mountain. The highest peak in the world marking the fact we were above all and that the other factions should bow to us soon before it's too late.

A knock came from the heavy stone door and Kadi jumped up, growling heavily at the door, snarling and clawing the carpet. "Ash'vala." I said putting my hand up and he stopped growling immediately. I undid the lock on the heavy stone door, pulling it open just enough to let the visitor through as even that small opening let some of the blizzard in, white stinging ice forcing its way into the room. The short boy stood there panting and shivering in his puffed up fur jacket, moving to pull his hood off to show his short black hair that was messed up from the hood. His bright eyes like a deep ocean sapphire looked in awe up at me as I actually let him in this time. This cute little boy's name was Avery, and like me, he was an Izackath. Back when I was alive we were a war tribe, conquering as we spread across the continents. I stood tall above him and went back into the kitchen to start the large fire pit for warmth and cooking.

"Scoi'tash," I said to him and he replied it back, sitting across me from near the fire. He started with a question "Are we really going to hunt in this weather?" He asked wishing I'd say no. "Of course we are. It's perfect because they won't be expecting it. They will be in their dens because of the blizzard." He pouted at that statement. "But we won't go just yet, we will have to wait until it's a little warmer. The Admiral wanted to see me today." I said looking down at my hand, thinking. "Is it because of your talent?" He looked over at Kadi and then back to me "Beast Taming?" He asked and I nodded softly. "It was a talent spoken around the fire by our elders. There hadn't been one for centuries, least when I was alive."

He nodded and enjoyed the warmth of the fire, "Well I don't think any of our race has been able to use magic… I'm the first." I kept the fact to myself that I know magic as greatly despised in my race. I myself didn't mind as it was another means to seizing victory. Our race was split down the middle. Women were the dominant in the tribes, taller than the men as well as stronger and faster. The way the tribes were made up was primal, to put it nicely. The woman who claimed the most men as her own and the strongest in battle was considered the leader.

Men were smaller and in far lesser numbers. In fact, Avery is the only male Izackath I've seen in all my years here. So instinctively I took him before anyone else could. But for eternity I'm not going to forcibly claim him. if he wishes I would consider it. Anyone could tell he was incredibly innocent, mostly because he didn't remember anything from his life. Only very small snippets of flashbacks that came back. "Asihan!" He yelled out, ripping me from my train of thought, "What's wrong?" I asked as he pointed to the door, someone else knocking. I got up and left the fire burning as the room was carved out of stone so nothing could catch fire. "That's the Admiral's second hand. Get your coat back on and let's go." I spoke to him as I opened the door, Kadi walking out first as he followed me everywhere. The sight of him set other hunters at unease because of his large size. Just under the size of a bear, he was famous around Whisperhold. I'm sure the Fenks would love to pet him if they could withstand the cold weather.


End file.
